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    Best Black Friday Chromebook deals: What to expect and early sales

    TechAiVerseBy No Comments11 Mins Read1 Views
    Best Black Friday Chromebook deals: What to expect and early sales

    Best Black Friday Chromebook deals: What to expect and early sales

    Image: Unsplash

    Black Friday deals on Chromebooks have begun at Amazon, Best Buy, and other retailers the week before Thanksgiving — welcome to Amazon Black Week. I’ve collected the best Chromebook deals for PCWorld over the past several years (including Black Friday and Prime Day) and these are usually the best deals of the year.

    Black Friday isn’t just a day any more, and I’m seeing a killer Lenovo IdeaPad 3i deal on the weekend before Black Friday I’d recommend you buy right now.

    My collected deals lean pretty hard on price. Times are tough right now, and I’m adding a few used/refurbished Chromebook deals as a sort of “ultrabudget” category option. The deals following are all new devices, though: budget Chromebooks and then midrange devices.

    I’ve been tracking Chromebook deals for the past several years, so I have a good idea of what to buy and how much you should pay. In each category, I’ve listed the best Chromebook deals that I can find, followed by an explanation of why I think you should buy them. Check out our list of the best Chromebooks for more ideas.

    Best early Black Friday refurbished Chromebook deals

    For this Black Friday, I’m trying something different: adding the option for previously owned, refurbished Chromebooks from Amazon’s Renewed program, which carry a 30-day warranty. (Walmart Restored has a 90-day return window.) Use it if you need to!

    My best deal vanished, but the Acer Chromebook Plus 515 at the top of the list looks pretty solid — it’s a midrange Chromebook Plus device at a price that’s just a hair above budget. If you’re looking for something cheaper, the Acer Chromebook 315 will save you about $30 off the budget offerings, below. As for the HP x360 — well, some people are looking for the absolute cheapest option.

    The Renewed program absolutely hides some stinkers, though: Chromebooks with processors over a decade old. For now, the listed HP Chromebook x360 and Dell 3100 are both near the bottom of the barrel — or at least what I can live with. They’re small, on the slow side, but functional.

    Best early Black Friday budget Chromebook deals

    • Lenovo IdeaPad 3i, (Celeron N4500, 8GB RAM, 64GB SSD, 15.6-inch 1080p display), $149.00 (19% off at Amazon)
    • Asus CX15 (Celeron N4500/4GB RAM/128GB SSD, 15.6-inch 1080p display), $139.00 (37% off at Walmart)
    • Acer Chromebook 315 (Celeron N4500/4GB RAM/64GB SSD, 15.6-inch 1080p display), $119.00 (60% off at Best Buy)
    • Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 (MediaTek Kompanio 520, 4GB RAM, 64GB SSD, 14-inch 1080p display), $149.00 (63% off at Best Buy)
    • Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Go (Celeron N4500, 4GB RAM, 64GB SSD, 14-inch 768p display) $129.99 (57% off at Amazon)
    • HP 14-inch Chromebook (Celeron N4500/4GB RAM/64GB SSD, 14-inch 768p display), $119.00 (64% off at Best Buy)

    The Lenovo IdeaPad 3i is your ideal deal: there are no compromises here, at a fantastic price. My recommendation is to buy this Chromebook now, and not worry if some other better deal pops up.

    Normally, budget Chromebooks are all about the tradeoffs. The other deals listed here typically don’t include 8GB of RAM, which is what I’d prefer — they offer 4GB instead. That limits the number of open tabs at any one time.

    These entries are very similar, but I’m recommending the Asus CX15 as my second choice because it offers more storage and a three-month trial to Google’s Gemini subscription, which gives it a bit of an edge. But the Acer Chromebook 315 has made a new appearance on the list: $119 is a terrific deal, and that might sway you. The drawback is the 4GB of RAM, which will allow you to open fewer tabs than an 8GB machine, but it’s not an enormous drawback.

    Don’t be afraid of the Mediatek Kompanio chips — these are just Arm processors, and the Chrome OS runs perfectly well on them. In fact, the Kompanio is a markedly better processor, with lower power consumption (better battery life!) and better performance, too.

    Why include the Lenovo 14-inch Chromebook at the end? Because the price is actually lower than previous deals I’ve seen. Put another way, Amazon is offering a sale on a sale, though it’s not really advertising it as such.

    Best early Black Friday midrange Chromebook deals

    • Asus CX14 (Intel Core 3 N355/8GB RAM/128GB SSD/14-inch 1080p display), $249.00 (42% off at Best Buy)
    • Asus CM30 (Kompanio 520/8GB RAM/128GB SSD, 10.5-inch 1920×1200 display), $279.00 (18% off at Walmart)
    • Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus (Core i3-1315U/8GB RAM/128GB SSD, 14-inch 1920×1200 display), $349.00 (42% off at Best Buy)
    • HP 14-inch x360 Chromebook Plus (Core i3-N305, 8GB RAM/128GB UFS, 14-inch 1080p display), $379.00, (32% off at Walmart)
    • Asus Chromebook Plus CX5601, (Core i3-1215U/8GB RAM/128GB SSD/16-inch 1920×1200 display), $479.00 (20% off at Best Buy)

    Right now, I’d recommend that you buy the Asus CX14 at the top of the list. In my mind, it offers the best value: it checks all the hardware boxes without asking you to splurge. If you do want to buy up to a Chromebook Plus, either the Lenovo Flex 5i or the HP x360 are good bets. (Do you need a Chromebook Plus?) A good midrange or premium Chromebook includes at least 8GB of RAM, a sturdy processor, and a 1080p screen or better. These all qualify.

    The Asus CM30 is a tablet, not a clamshell Chromebook, but if you don’t mind that then the specifications are excellent. Some of the earlier Chromebook deals have been removed, offering less choice than before.

    Google’s premium Chromebook class populates the bottom of this deals list, with more expensive options. Some come with advanced subscriptions to Google Gemini and its Google AI subscriptions. Read through the listing and figure out whether that’s right for you. All three Chromebook Plus models listed here will work fine, though there’s a $200 swing in price. I tend to recommend cheaper devices if I can justify their performance.

    If you’ve decided that a Chromebook isn’t for you and you’d prefer a laptop instead, check out our Black Friday laptop deals and our Black Friday deals shopping page.

    Black Friday: The best PC deals around

    Check out our roundups for the best PC-related deals in a wide variety of categories!

    FAQ

    1.

    When is Black Friday?

    Officially, this year’s Black Friday takes place on Friday, Nov. 28 2025. Cyber Monday is the following Monday, or Dec. 1, 2025. Amazon’s “Black Week” kicks off Nov. 20.

    2.

    When do Black Friday Chromebook deals begin?

    Retailers have already begun discounting Chromebooks to prepare for the official Black Friday date. Sales should ramp up further as Black Friday nears. Retailers certainly haven’t been shy about adding early sales to unload inventory before the Black Friday craziness begins! Just watch out for the “sneaky season,” where retailers add sales, then raise prices, and then discount again for Black Friday.

    3.

    What should you pay for a Black Friday Chromebook deal?

    Tariffs and shortages make me a little wary this holiday season.

    I’m hoping for “budget” Chromebooks to be about $150 to $200, with the type of Chromebooks we recommend (see below for more detail on that) to be priced below $350 in the weeks leading up to Black Friday. Prices should drop a bit more as Black Friday approaches. I’m not sure budget Chromebooks will ever fall below $100, even on a Black Friday sale, as they did in 2024.

    In general, we put our top picks at the top of our lists. I absolutely factor price into my picks, but I’m looking for value: the best bang for your buck. I feel like I’ve really benefited from a good deal when I get the most for my money, and that’s what I want to help you get, too.

    Note that I’m also experimenting with some refurbished options, to offer even lower-priced options.

    4.

    What features should I look for in a Black Friday Chromebook?

    We still prioritize three things when looking for a Chromebook deal: memory, the display (size and resolution), and the CPU.

    Retailers are still trying to unload Chromebooks with 4GB of RAM, 768p screens, and ancient processors. Ignore those, for the most part. Some can be justified as budget Chromebook options, but I really feel that you deserve a Chromebook with at least 8GB of RAM, a 1080p (1920×1080) screen or better (with screen sizes above 13 inches, if possible), and a relatively modern CPU. I don’t put a lot of weight on the CPU, if only because a Chromebook doesn’t need a lot of horsepower behind it.

    A 1080p screen offers a comfortable laptop-like viewing experience. Be aware that “HD” does not mean 1080p! It basically means 768p, which is going to be a bit hard on your eyes. “Full HD” or “FHD” equates to 1080p. We’re even seeing some midrange Chromebooks offer 1200p screens, which offers a bit more resolution to ease eyestrain.

    Our recommended CPUs include Intel Celerons, Intel Pentiums, Intel Core chips, AMD Ryzen processors, and Arm chips from MediaTek or Qualcomm. All of those have their pros and cons, though the performance differences probably won’t matter as much as additional memory. More memory (that is, 8GB rather than 4GB of RAM) allows for more browser tabs and a smoother browser experience.

    Onboard storage really doesn’t matter all that much, though an SSD of at least 32GB is preferable for storing apps, documents, screenshots, and the like.

    If you’re familiar with our lengthy laptops versus Chromebooks explainer, you know that one of the potential gotchas is buying a Chromebook whose support window expires soon. Google now supports new Chromebooks for up to 10 years, so this is less of a concern.

    5.

    Which Chromebook does PCWorld rate highest?

    Our editors regularly review Chromebooks, so make sure to check our rankings of the best Chromebooks of 2025. We recommend a wide range of price points, and the article offers a great primer on Chromebook shopping. What’s more, some of our top picks will likely go on sale before or during Black Friday.

    6.

    Should I buy a Chromebook from Amazon Renewed or Walmart’s Restored program?

    Normally, I wouldn’t recommend that you buy a used product, because who knows what it’s been through. But let’s face it: price depreciation can be your friend, too. Amazon’s Renewed offers a 30-day warranty and Walmart’s Restored program has a 90-day return window, and I’d recommend that if you do go that route, to do a thorough inspection and then return it if you don’t consider it to be working properly.

    However, any refurbished program can often hide Chromebooks from years and years ago. I’ll recommend refurbished Chromebooks when I think they might be a good deal, but be careful of buying just any old refurbished Chromebook. You might get stuck with a stinker.

    , Senior Editor, PCWorld

    Mark has written for PCWorld for the last decade, with 30 years of experience covering technology. He has authored over 3,500 articles for PCWorld alone, covering PC microprocessors, peripherals, and Microsoft Windows, among other topics. Mark has written for publications including PC Magazine, Byte, eWEEK, Popular Science and Electronic Buyers’ News, where he shared a Jesse H. Neal Award for breaking news. He recently handed over a collection of several dozen Thunderbolt docks and USB-C hubs because his office simply has no more room.

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    Jonathan is a tech enthusiast and the mind behind Tech AI Verse. With a passion for artificial intelligence, consumer tech, and emerging innovations, he deliver clear, insightful content to keep readers informed. From cutting-edge gadgets to AI advancements and cryptocurrency trends, Jonathan breaks down complex topics to make technology accessible to all.

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